The South Asian University has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies in Colombo to build joint research networks across South Asia, the Daily Mirror reported on Saturday.
It is the first agreement SAU has signed with an independent research think tank in Sri Lanka. Both institutions are regional rather than national bodies — SAU was established by the SAARC member states and is based in Delhi, while RCSS is a Colombo-based think tank working on South Asian security and strategic questions.
A joint statement said the MOU aims to “nurture regional consciousness and the idea of ‘Southasianess’ among young minds, facilitate joint research, strengthen capacity-building networks, and promote knowledge exchange and meaningful regional engagement.”
A campus in Sri Lanka?
Speaking at the virtual launch, SAU President Prof. K.K. Aggarwal called the agreement an important step in strengthening the university’s relationship with Sri Lanka. He reaffirmed SAU’s commitment to carrying the SAARC mandate forward and to exploring campuses across South Asia, particularly in Sri Lanka — the most consequential line in the announcement, and one neither institution elaborated on.
RCSS Executive Director Ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha pointed to the partnership’s potential for joint research, policy dialogue, publications, conferences and openings for young scholars.
RCSS board member Ambassador Esala Weerakoon, a former Foreign Secretary and SAARC Secretary-General, said SAU was founded to challenge assumptions and develop perspectives beyond national boundaries, and described the MOU as a commitment to research and dialogue as instruments of regional consciousness. Weerakoon was appointed to the RCSS board in May.
Prof. Amal Jayawardane, RCSS board member, Professor Emeritus of International Relations at the University of Colombo and a former RCSS Executive Director, said the two institutions could form a strong platform for collaborative research.
Context
The agreement carries some weight because SAARC itself has been largely dormant, with no summit held since 2014. Institutions created under its mandate — SAU among them — have become the practical surface on which regional cooperation continues, and an SAU campus in Sri Lanka would be a substantial commitment.
RCSS has been active on Sri Lankan policy questions this year, including work on maritime security and institutional capacity.
The Delhi delegation included Vice President (Academic) Prof. Kapil Sharma, Vice President (Innovation and Strategy) Prof. Ritu Gaur, and Dr. Shweta Singh, who led the project. Colombo was represented by the RCSS board and staff, including Research Officer Chamika Wijesuriya, herself an SAU alumna.
Not reported
The joint statement gives no duration, funding or first project under the MOU, and does not say when the signing took place. On the campus question it offers nothing beyond the word “exploring” — no site, timeline, cost or indication of whether Sri Lankan authorities have been approached.
Daily FT and EconomyNext also carried the joint release, but neither version could be independently dated or verified at the time of writing, so this account rests on the Daily Mirror’s report alone.
